These cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling are made with a soft & fluffy brioche, gooey cinnamon sugar filling, and spiced honeycrisp apples!
These apple cinnamon rolls are made with my go-to pillowy brioche recipe, and filled with cozy cinnamon sugar & homemade apple pie fillings. Top the buns with a generous drizzle of cream cheese icing and enjoy warm!
For more fall recipes, try Maple Pumpkin Hand Pies, Brown Butter Snickerdoodles, Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting, and Brown Butter Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls.
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Why you'll love these apple cinnamon rolls
- Soft & Fluffy Brioche: This pillowy enriched dough is my go-to brioche recipe!
- Gooey Cinnamon Sugar Filling: This filling does not skimp on the cinnamon, and when baked in the oven, it creates ooey gooey centers in every roll!
- Cozy Apple Pie Filling: A classic apple pie filling that transforms regular cinnamon rolls into fall bliss.
Ingredient Notes
- Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast: If using active dry yeast, combine with milk and sugar and allow to sit for 15 minutes. If using instant yeast, there is no need to let the yeast sit in the mixture.
- Whole Milk: Use whole milk for optimum flavor, and warm the milk to about 110 degrees F to activate the yeast.
- Granulated Sugar: The sugar will need to be mixed in with the milk and yeast to help activate the yeast.
- Eggs: You’ll need 4 eggs at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract: A good quality vanilla paste or extract will give these cinnamon rolls a wonderful flavor!
- All-Purpose Flour: The best way to measure your flour, as well as the rest of the ingredients, is by weight.
- Unsalted Butter: I recommend using a high-quality European-style butter, like Kerrygold.
- Brown Sugar: You can use light and dark brown sugar or the spiced apples and cinnamon sugar filling.
- Spices: I used a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for the spiced apples and pure cinnamon for the filling.
- Honeycrisp Apples: I find that honeycrisp apples have the perfect balance of sweetness and hold their shape well in the oven, but you could also use granny smith or pink lady.
- Cream Cheese: For the icing, cream cheese mixes best when it is cold, so no need to bring to room temp!
- Powdered Sugar: I used about one cup of powdered sugar, but you can more or less based on your own preferences.
- Heavy Cream: Add few tablespoons of milk or heavy cream to bring the icing to the right consistency you want.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
There are quite a few steps to this recipe, so read the recipe card carefully and prep your ingredients before you start making each element! I also recommend making the fillings well before you're ready to roll out the dough. The minute you take the dough out of the fridge, it starts proofing, so you have to move quickly! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Dough. Make the brioche dough and proof overnight. For more detailed instructions on brioche see this recipe.
STEP 2: Filling. Just before rolling out the dough, make the cinnamon sugar filling by creaming together the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
STEP 3: Filling. Make the apple pie filling by cooking the thinly sliced apples in a large skillet with brown sugar and spices. Allow to cool before assembling the cinnamon rolls.
STEP 4: Roll and spread. Roll the brioche out on a lightly floured surface to about ¼" in thickness and spread the cinnamon sugar filling all over, leaving a border around the edges.
STEP 5: Top. Add the apple pie filling on top in an even layer.
STEP 6: Cut. Roll the dough up from the long side and use a knife to score the log every 1 ½ inches. Use dental floss to cut the cinnamon rolls.
STEP 7: Bake. Place the cinnamon rolls in a 9x13" pan and proof at room temperature for about 45 minutes to an hour. Then, bake for about 35 minutes.
STEP 8: Icing. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the cream cheese icing.
STEP 9: Cool. Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for a few minutes in the pan.
STEP 10: Frost. Drizzle the cream cheese icing on top and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- I recommend allowing your brioche dough to rise slowly overnight in the fridge. Cold dough is so much nicer to work with! But you can also let it proof at room temperature for one hour and make the cinnamon rolls immediately.
- To get a clean cut of each cinnamon roll, use unflavored dental floss rather than a knife.
- If you would like to cover each cinnamon roll completely in icing, I would recommend doubling the recipe or making the frosting in this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
1. Using a stand mixer with the dough hook, mix the wet and dry ingredients on low-medium speed for a few minutes until it forms a ball around the hook.
2. Slowly begin incorporating the room temperature butter as it mixes on medium speed. It is very important to use room temperature butter in order for it to incorporate properly.
3. Once all of the butter is incorporated, turn the speed up to high and mix for about 8 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test.
The windowpane test is used to tell when the brioche has developed enough gluten. To check if the dough is ready, tear off a small piece and carefully spread it out to see if you can see the light through it without it tearing. If it tears, mix for another minute and check again.
1. First proof overnight - Make the brioche dough the night before, and allow it to proof overnight in the fridge. The next morning, shape into cinnamon rolls, proof one more time in a warm environment, and bake.
2. Second proof overnight - Make the brioche dough the night before, and proof for about 1 hour in a warm environment. Shape the dough into cinnamon rolls, then proof overnight in the fridge. The next morning (ideally before 9am), take the cinnamon rolls out to come to room temperature (about 1 hour) and bake as directed.
I love baking with honeycrisp apples, because they have the perfect balance of sweetness and hold their shape well in the oven. You could also use another baking apple, such as granny smith or pink lady.
Storage Tips
These apple cinnamon rolls are best the day they are baked. Store leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Warm up in the microwave for a few seconds and enjoy!
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other fall recipes to try
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📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling
Ingredients
For the brioche:
- 227 g (1 cup) whole milk
- 40 g (3 tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 15 g (4 ½ teaspoon) instant or active dry yeast
- 4 eggs, room temp
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 600 g (5 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 170 g (12 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
For the cinnamon sugar filling:
- 170 g (12 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 120 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) brown sugar
- 50 g (5 tablespoon) cinnamon
For the apple pie filling:
- 28 g (2 tablespoon) unsalted butter
- 600 g apples, peeled and thinly sliced, about 4 apples
- 70 g (⅓ cup) brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the cream cheese icing:
- 28 g (1 oz) cream cheese, cold
- 113 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 42 g (3 tablespoon) heavy cream
Instructions
For the brioche:
- Heat the milk to 110 degrees F and stir in yeast and sugar. If using active dry yeast, allow to sit for 15 minutes. If using instant yeast, simply move on to the next step.
- Mix the eggs and vanilla into the milk yeast mixture.
- Combine flour and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and mix on low-medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until it forms a ball around the hook.
- Add in one piece of butter at a time, allowing it to fully incorporate before adding the next.
- Once all of the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and mix for 8-12 minutes. To check if the dough is ready, tear off a small piece and carefully spread it out to see if you can see the light through it without it tearing. If it tears, mix for another minute and check again.
- Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to proof overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, you can let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
For the cinnamon sugar filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter with the brown sugar and cinnamon until fully combined and smooth. Set aside.
For the apple pie filling:
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the thinly sliced apples, brown sugar, and spices, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cornstarch and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
For assembly:
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the brioche dough out into a rough rectangle about 24"x16" and ¼'' in thickness.
- Spread the filling out evenly over the dough.
- Add the apple pie filling on top in an even layer.
- Roll the dough up from the long end and seal the edge. Cut off about an inch on either end of the log.
- Using a ruler (or you can eyeball it), measure out twelve 1 ½" rolls by scoring lines with a knife.
- Use dental floss to cut each roll by placing the floss under the dough, wrapping around, and pulling to cut through.
- Place each roll in a 9''x13" pan, cover, and allow to rise at room temperature for about 45 minutes.
- Towards the end of the proof time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the apple cinnamon rolls for 30-35 minutes until evenly golden.
- Allow to cool in the pan for few minutes adding the icing.
For the cream cheese icing:
- While the cinnamon rolls bake, make the icing.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time.
- Add the heavy cream and mix until smooth.
- Drizzle on top of the apple cinnamon rolls while warm and enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend allowing your brioche dough to rise slowly overnight in the fridge. Cold dough is so much nicer to work with! But you can also let it proof at room temperature for one hour and make the cinnamon rolls immediately.
- To get a clean cut of each cinnamon roll, use unflavored dental floss rather than a knife.
- If you would like to cover each cinnamon roll completely in icing, I would recommend doubling the recipe or making the frosting in this recipe.
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